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Although Norm Sherry owns just 18 career home runs, he nicked a future Hall of Famer for two of the dingers.

“Hitting homers off [Warren] Spahn was something for ME. [His upper-case emphasis!] The first one came late into a game at home in L.A. and tied the game up. We went on and played 11 innings before we won. Second came in New York as a Met. Both came off fastballs over the middle of the plate.”

Sherry’s comeback as a major leaguer came in 1976, when he became manager of the California Angels. Although his stint as skipper didn’t last two years, he found a lengthy assignment as a San Francisco Giants coach. His assessment of three big league bosses intrigued me.

“Gene Autry was a real baseball fan and was ever present. Always in the clubhouse before the game and after. A real super man.

The owners that I played for? Walter O’Malley was a very nice man. They just didn’t pay well in those days.

At S.F., Bob Lurie was the best. Very serious.”

Tomorrow: a letter from the heart and soul of the 1960s California Angels, Jim Fregosi

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I know, FOREVER stamps seem easiest, protecting against the inevitable postal increases. Adding a penny stamp (or more!) to each envelope is a huge annoyance.

However, I’m a believer that retired players pay attention.

In fact, I’ll be grabbing a quantity of the cowboy stamps, too. I’d say that nearly all baseball alums age 70 and above are likely to smile when seeing Roy Rogers or Gene Autry again. (Maybe the younger retirees played for Autry?!?)

I could send out more letters each week. Unfortunately, my increased quantity would make my quality suffer. I try to make every contact count.

I want each baseball name I contact to know I’m a person. I am not a robotic autograph collector mass-mailing the multitudes. A thoughtful effort heightens my chances for a personalized response.

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About Me

Tom Owens has been collecting baseball autographs by mail since 1972 (thanks to "Bullet" Bob Veale). As "Thomas S. Owens," he's written more than 50 books, many about sports or collectibles. Write to Tom at: BaseballByTheLetters [at] gmail [dot] com.